Batman: Year One
Gordon is driving to work when he receives a call from Stan Merkel. There's a schizophrenic holding children hostage, and the carelessly violent SWAT officer Branden has been put in charge. To save the children from Branden, Gordon puts down his gun and defuses the situation himself. He gains favor with the press, and Loeb begins looking for ways to take him down. His pregnant wife Barbara is disappointed when he's called away from home to deal with "a bat." In his first outing as Batman, Bruce attacks some teenage burglars and almost dies. Five weeks later, there are dozens of reports of a bat-monster systematically taking down criminals. Gordon is put in charge of an anti-Batman task force with a cop named Sarah Essen. Batman interrupts a dinner of Gotham's wealthiest and most corrupt at the Mayor's mansion. He blows a hole through the wall with explosives and tells them that none of them are safe from him. Loeb cracks down on Batman when mafia don Carmine "The Roman" Falcone is left tied up and naked. Gordon suspects that ADA Harvey Dent is Batman, and Essen guesses that it might be Wayne. Gordon meets Batman for the first time when Batman dives in front of a truck to save an old lady, right in front of him. Batman escapes at gunpoint to an abandoned tenement. Gordon calls for back-up, and Loeb has Branden firebomb the building despite Gordon's protests. Branden's SWAT team corners Batman in the tenement, and 18 men are sent to shoot him on sight. Batman loses his Utility Belt but survives, although some winos are not so lucky. He systematically takes down the SWAT officers one by one. Selina Kyle and Holly Robinson arrive to watch the spectacle, along with many others. Batman escapes using ultrasonic technology that attracts every bat in the county. He steals a motorcycle and drives off in a swarm of bats, disappearing before they dissipate. Gordon begins having an affair with Essen, and fighting with his pregnant wife. Selina punches out her pimp, then leaves with Holly. She spends her savings on a cat costume, taking inspiration from Batman to become Catwoman. Essen transfers back to Chicago when they decide to end their affair. Gordon arrests notorious drug kingpin Jefferson Skeevers, who has ties to Loeb and Flass. Dent allows Skeevers to be released on bail, so Batman can intimidate him into testifying. Skeevers turns over on Flass, who turns over on Loeb. Gordon visits Wayne Manor to check Bruce's alibis, and Bruce puts on a convincing show as a drunken playboy. Loeb threatens to tell Barbara about Sarah, so Gordon tells her himself. Barbara finally delivers, and they have a son. Catwoman gets upset that Batman is receiving credit for her crimes, and decides to scratch her victims' faces as a signature. Batman listens in on the Roman while he is hiring Johnny Viti as a hitman. Catwoman interrupts this meeting to rob Falcone, and meets Batman for the first time. Batman takes out the bodyguards while Catwoman scratches Falcone, and they both escape. Bruce realizes Falcone is targeting Gordon, and drives to his house in daylight with no costume. Viti tries to kidnap Gordon's baby, but Gordon chases him down in a firefight. They tumble over a bridge, and the baby falls. Bruce leaps in and saves the child's life. Gordon remarks that he cannot see Batman without his glasses, and tells him to leave before the cops arrive. In the aftermath, Loeb goes down and gets replaced by Commissioner Grogan. The Roman goes to war with his sister, Carla Viti. Gordon gets promoted to Captain and begins seeing a marriage counselor with Barbara. Batman and Gordon begin working together, meeting on the rooftop. Gordon remarks that someone has threatened to poison the reservoir, a man calling himself the Joker. Continuity Background There have been several companion stories written to Year One, expanding on details and providing background information. Selina Kyle's story is expanded in Mindy Newell's Catwoman mini-series titled Her Sister's Keeper. Jim Gordon's reasons for leaving Chicago were explained in Dennis O'Neil's mini-series Gordon of Gotham. Some events taking place in-between Year One were expanded on the first storyline of the title Legends of the Dark Knight, called Batman: Shaman. It is also canon for Batman's comics taking place after Superman Reborn. Legacy Since the publication of Year One, several other stories have continued its plot threads. Mike W. Barr wrote a Year Two storyline about Joe Chill, and Marv Wolfman wrote a Year Three storyline about Robin. Ed Brubaker's The Man Who Laughs follows up on the ending to Year One, portraying Batman's first meeting with the Joker. Jeph Loeb's The Long Halloween continued many plot threads, explaining the downfall of Carmine Falcone and the rise of costumed villains. Matt Wagner's Golden Age homage Dark Moon Rising explores the gap between Year One and The Long Halloween. The feature film Batman Begins also uses many of the same characters and themes and the whole storyline was later adapted into an animated movie of the same name. | Issues = * -- Who I am. How I Come to Be. * -- War is Declared * -- Black Dawn * -- Friend in Need | Vehicles = | Items = * Bat-Glider * Batarangs | Weapons = | Notes = * Collected in "Batman: Year One" trade paperback and the "Complete Frank Miller Batman" hardcover editions. | Trivia = * Superman is referenced in this story, meaning he is already active at the time of Batman's debut. Barbara references him as the "Man of Steel" in Metropolis, while remarking on how steely Jim's muscles are. Alfred also suggests Bruce take up flying, "like that fellow in Metropolis." | RecommendedReading = | Links = * }} nl:Batman: Year One Category:Year One